Imagery Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Seized by US is Currently Near Texas.
American agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
